Participants Sought for Parkinson's Research

A major new study into the impact of reduction of facial expression in people living with Parkinson’s Disease is being launched by researchers at the University of Suffolk with a call going out for participants.

The study, the first of its kind in the UK, will look at reduced facial expressions, sometimes called facial masking, and its effect on daily life and social interactions with friends, families and strangers.

It is a collaborative project between the University of Suffolk and East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) and is funded by the University of East Anglia Health and Social Care Partners (UEAHSCP).

Dr Abigail Webb, Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Suffolk will be working with ESNEFT Parkinson’s nurse, Sheeba Suresh and research nurse, Hannah Stansfield on the study and will be talking to people living with Parkinson’s as well as carers, families and friends.

Facial masking is present in around 92 per cent of Parkinson’s cases and some studies suggest that people living with Parkinson’s are also less likely to correctly interpret emotional expressions on the faces of others.

“Non-verbal facial communication is so important for how we interact with one another, but for people living with Parkinson’s this becomes difficult. 

“We want to capture this lived experience, to understand how it impacts daily life and social interactions, whether this varies according to familiarity or closeness, for example with family, strangers and clinicians,” said Dr Webb.

“There will be people living with Parkinson’s and their loved ones who have found ways around this difficulty, to ensure that communication is still happening effectively despite limited use of the face, and we’d love to be able to capture this in our findings.

“Many people will be aware of the loss of motor skills associated with Parkinson’s such as shaking but the reduction of facial expression can be a real barrier, often misinterpreted as negative personal characteristics, and cues that can lead to misunderstanding,” she said.

One to one interviews will be conducted online with people living with Parkinson’s and those who have had a close relationship with them prior to and since their diagnosis. The interviews are expected to last about an hour.

Dr Webb added: “The research interviews will ultimately create an information support resource that promotes an understanding what reduced facial emotion communication feels like for people living with Parkinson’s and their loved ones, and access to strategies to bypass misunderstandings and promote effective non-verbal communication in different scenarios. 

“This will ultimately be a support resource for people living with Parkinson’s and their loved ones recommended by people living with Parkinson’s and their loved ones.”

To register an interest in taking part in the study which will run throughout spring go to: Impaired facial emotion communication in Parkinson’s Disease: A qualitative study | QuestionPro Survey